


Giving In

by fandomgeek14



Series: Navigating Stardom [5]
Category: Hollywood U: Rising Star
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 11:57:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19745281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomgeek14/pseuds/fandomgeek14
Summary: Thomas Hunt had been determined to avoid Maddie Jenkins as much as possible through the end of term party at his house. But when he finds her in his room after an argument in the wine cellar, he's forced into an ultimatum, give into his feelings or lose her forever...





	Giving In

**Author's Note:**

> A take on the date the Dinner Party staring my Hollywood U MC, Maddie Jenkins.  
> all dialogue belongs to pixelberry.

Professor Thomas Hunt had done it.

He’d finally snapped.

He could not put up with Maddie Jenkins’ ridiculousness and persistence any longer so, naturally he had shut her down and she’d disappeared. He’d thought he’d finally won, that she’d stopped it, that she’d finally learned her lesson. Except, clearly she hadn’t because he found her in his bedroom of all places! And she had pulled him by the jacket into the room with her! He was so angry that she’d go to this length to try and date him! That she’d try to maybe seduce him then and there! He was- he was livid!

However, the thing was, that was a completely lie. Thomas wasn’t angry or livid, even. He was frustrated that his attempts so far had failed, sure, but he had secretly hated turning her away, hated choosing his career at Hollywood U over a potential relationship for the second time, it broke his heart when she ran out of the cellar clearly torn to bits, and he knew that, despite Maddie’s flaws (of which there were a quite a few), she was nothing but honest and would not try anything with him unless he wanted it. Which he did. He wanted so badly to be with her. Why? Because, Thomas Orson Hunt, was head over heals in love with his student, and that was that. However, his pride would not and could not let him give into this emotional train wreck that would become a potential relationship if he let it. He had to play to the charade and hope that would be enough to keep his feelings at bay one more time. Then maybe, just maybe, she would finally get the hint.

“What do you think you’re doing, Maddie?”

The brown haired student looked at him with a challenging look on her face.

“I’m trying to have a conversation with you. Why have you been avoiding me all night?” She explained “I don’t deserve to be treated like this”

Thomas didn’t quite know what to say to that. She had been hurt, by him, she deserved better than this.

“You… you’re right.” He said coldly

“What?” Her blue eyes (which had become Hunt’s favourite shade of blue by the way) widened in surprise, taken aback by the professor’s comment but Thomas, ever the professional ex-actor didn’t not falter his stern expression once.

“You’re right, okay? You do deserve better. But I had no choice but to avoid you”

Maddie’s expression hardened again, upon hearing his terrible explanation as Thomas had expected it would

“What? That doesn’t even make any sense”

“I had to put some distance between us, since you always insist on closing the gap. You were like that at the masquerade, on that movie set, and especially on that date auction”

Maddie expression softened at this and she looked rather apologetic to Thomas’ surprise, he had expected her to stand her ground which she had done in the past plenty of times to varying results.

“I- I’m sorry how I behaved before, I know I’ve been pushy in the past, but it was the only way to get you to open up to me. You’re so stubborn sometimes!”

Oh he was well aware of his stubbornness Extremely aware, and it was once again becoming his downfall or giving him success, he wasn’t so sure at this moment.

“I want us to be together. But I want you to want it too” Maddie frowned before perking up enough to ask him a question “look, I think already know the answer to this but… do you want to be with me? Or would you rather be with Marianne?”

_What?_

Thomas didn’t look at her or reply, he looked at the floor. But he could feel her look on him, it was that heartbroken look from the wine cellar. The look that had been given to him before she wandered off and ended up in his room.

“That’s what I thought. I guess this has all been a waste of my time. I’ll see you in class, Professor…”

Her voice trailed off and she turned to leave, residing herself too the fact that it was all over and Thomas realised she was giving up! He’d won! He should be happy about this! relieved! So.. why wasn’t he happy? Why wasn’t he feeling relieved? He was making a mistake, letting her go, that’s why. Screw professionalism! Screw fighting it ! He loved her and he was not prepared to lose her forever! So he wrapped an arm around her waist and looked at her, with a look that could be close to begging, a look of guilt. Of sadness. He just couldn’t let her leave!

“Don’t go…”

* * *

Maddie Jenkins felt Thomas wrap his arms around her and she leaned into his embrace.

“Don’t go, Maddie”

“I don’t have much of a reason to stay do I? I mean, you basically told me you didn’t want me, you’ve made your choice, and your choice is Marianne” Maddie said her voice, sounding the most heartbroken it had been since, well, ever. Thomas broke the embrace and folded his arms in confusion.

“I’m not interested in her. Don’t you get it?” Thomas said the sternness in his voice returning but there was a slight hint of amusement in his voice as well.

“Get what?”

“I knew I couldn’t spend an evening with you in my house without something happening… I needed a way to prevent us from… well, ending up where we are now” his voice had gotten less stern again with the explanation and he’d become more relaxed, his arms returning to his sides. _This man is definitely a rollercoaster with his emotions,_ Maddie thought to herself jokingly thinking back to one of her first encounters with the man in front of her. But another thought replaced that one relatively quickly. And her eyebrow raised in her confusion.

“So I’m supposed to believe that Marianne was what? A defence? Against me?”

“Yes, on paper, Marianne may seem like the perfect person for me. And we do have a history together. But she and I don’t work well in real life. Believe it or not, it’s possible for someone to have too much criticism in a relationship”

“So, what is she then?”

“A friend. That’s it.”

Thomas looked deeply into Maddie’s eyes, as their eyes connected, Maddie noticed, not for the first time his were the perfect shade of brown. No, they were not just the perfect shade but _the_ perfect shade. Not too dark, not too light, but slap bang in the middle. She didn’t think a perfect shade of brown was possible, well, until Professor Hunt came along and introduced her to her new, favourite shade of her least favourite colour.

“You’re the one I want, Maddie. The one I’ve wanted”

_wait? what?_ did Thomas Hunt actually just say that? Maddie had to be dreaming! This was a dream right? A really, really good dream…. was this really happening? That he really wanted her? This had to be a dream right? She mentally pinched herself, only to confirm that yeah, no this was not a dream and was most certainly real.

“Thomas…”

Maddie suddenly couldn’t take it any longer, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss and to her surprise Thomas returned it immediately, pulling her closer to him as he did. After a moment, Maddie pulled away, needing to breathe of course, and Thomas rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed, smiling softly at her. Maddie suddenly realised that as great as this was, she probably had to go back downstairs or people would get suspicious that both her and the host were missing.

“Thomas I-”

“Not yet”

He leaned in for another kiss, clearly not ready to let her go yet. This one was longer and Maddie had to admit, sweeter, like he had been waiting for this for so long and the thought (and quite possibly the kiss) made her giddy and when he had finally pulled away, Thomas and Maddie both knew, deep down, even though it sounded cliché and like a trope from a romantic comedy or any cheesy romance film, that this was meant to be.


End file.
